UNESCO Adds 25 Sites Including Mount Olympus and Italian Theaters

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee inscribed 25 new sites during its 48th session in Busan, South Korea, from July 19 to 29. The list includes 19 cultural sites, five natural environments, and one mixed property. Among the cultural additions are the D-Day landing beaches, Mount Olympus in Greece, and the Dhamek Stupa in Sarnath, India, where Buddha first preached. Archaeological sites include Japan's Asuka and Fujiwara capitals, eight Xiongnu funerary complexes in Mongolia, and Sebastia in the West Bank. Five religious sites were added, such as underground mosques in Kazakhstan, a Tunisian village linked to Sufi master Sidi Bou Saïd, and Thailand's 1,200-year-old Phra Mahathat monastery. Ten 18th- and 19th-century theaters in central Italy, operating under a collective ownership model, were recognized. Thirteen properties by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, including Villa Mairea and Finlandia Hall, were inscribed. Five sites in Jingdezhen, China, related to porcelain production over 1,500 years, also made the list. UNESCO designation provides access to preservation funds and boosts tourism.